Lady Georgiana....Apple Pips..... A Tiny Treasure....

Although I enjoy all my dollmaking - from sculpting a characterful face to choosing fabrics and creating the costuming -  every now and again a special challenge is offered to me. Lady Georgiana has been one of those lovely challenges!

She has now arrived at her new home, and this rather grand lady 'of a certain age' has taken her place in the music salon with her equally grand companions, where they are no doubt eyeing the fashion statement each is making!

The Georgian era offers such a wealth of styles to choose from and ladies fashions were increasingly influenced by France. She has chosen the Saque back style in a fine cotton floral print, trimmed with ribbons and lace, ensuring that while her obvious assets are very much on show, even though she's not young, the decorum of the day dictated that her elbows must be covered!

I so loved making her hat - it's a rare chance to be able to go over the top with feathers and ribbons and her hairstyle was a particular challenge.  Although I'd seen the hedgehog hairstyle in famous portraits it took some digging to discover how it was actually created at the time, so it was fun to follow the instructions to the letter - in miniature!

So Blog friends.....what do you know about antique/vintage dolls house furniture made from apple pips???
A friend has inherited this wonderful unusual furniture made from apple pips and would love to know more about it if any of you can help us here.

We know that apple pips and other seeds have been used in small items of jewelry and I have a small purse and coaster/mat that are pretty old. Despite best efforts, we can't find anything quite like this so if anyone can tell me more, I'd love to hear from you.

I'm beside myself with joy that my incredibly talented friend Deb Jackson has made me an exquisite 'Triang Inspired' teeny weeny vintage dolls house.
The work is quite breathtakingly detailed so I hope the pictures give you some idea of just how tiny and beautiful it is. And - hold your breath - lift a microscopic hook and eye catch and it opens to reveal fully decorated rooms. A future heirloom!

Deb's work is highly sought after and the little houses don't come along too often - go to her website and enjoy her varied miniature treasures. www.debjacksondesigns.com/

Thank you for looking
Robin

Scenes From The Herb Garden....And Frogs...

I am itching to show you a picture of my latest 1/12th lady - but until she's arrived in her new home, it's only fair for her new custodian to see her first. SO - I thought some snapshots of the herb garden and a frog or two, might be interesting.


Further to my last blog in which I mentioned that our next Nostalgia in Miniature Workshop - 'Down the Little Old Herb Garden Path' is on 27th September at Bicester Avenue Garden Centre  (a really easy venue to get to just off Junction 9 of M40) - I've a few more pictures to tempt anyone wondering whether to have a creative day out....

I think you'd agee - this is 'traditional' - and just a touch nostalgic.

If you love gardens and plants and would like the opportunity to create some lovely herb plants in a nostalgic setting,  using a variety of materials and very different techniques in a friendly atmosphere, just take a look.

Lungworts - or  'Jerusalem Cowslips'

A lovely rustic gate with a rusty old bolt catch.

A Victorian rope tile edging to the weathered path and herbs spilling over

And for full details click here for our website with a Booking Form - and details of a Group Discount if you are a small party of friends who fancy a day our with a little retail therapy thrown in. Booking will close in a week or two so do get in touch soon as there are only a few places left.

Now for the frogs!! I am having to accomodate a spare frig' in my conservatory (long and boring story... don't ask...) so in an effort to try and ignore it I thought at least I could make the top interesting!

I am rather partial to ceramic frogs and such and also lumps of interesting wood/tree root/fungi....seemed an idea to bring them all together.

This is my Cumbrian toad on a big hunk of tree fungus

Definitely an exotic I think

What do you think?

Thank you for looking
Robin

Fiction and Song Inspire Two New Characters

Recently I was commissioned to make two very special ladies in 1/24th scale! One is a fictional lady from books and the other inspired, and is remembered, in a well-known song. 
Meet 'Miss Clare' and Molly Malone...............I loved creating both.

Dora Saint wrote a whole series of evocative books about a fictional rural village, its school, community and general 'goings on'.  'Miss Clare' is the much loved retired school teacher - who when I was making her -  brought back memories of Miss Tibbetts my first teacher. She looked very much like this - and gave us all a love of reading, starting with the Beacon Readers and Old Lob's Farm!

'Miss Clare' now belongs to Shirley Edgar who was a pioneer of the 1/24th scale in this country, so I know she has a lovely home.  In fact Shirley has been kind enough to share her photographs of  'Miss Clare' welcoming us to her beautiful cottage and giving us a wave from the garden bench.  Many thanks Shirley.

Molly Malone probably needs no introduction as she's the tragic Dublin girl in the song which is also known as 'Cockles and Mussels'.  I wasn't sure until I Googled whether she was 'real' or not - she is and there's a wonderful statue commemorating her in the city.

Celia and I are enjoying working on the prototype finishing touches for 'DOWN THE LITTLE OLD HERB GARDEN PATH WORKSHOP' which is on 27th September at Bicester Avenue Garden Centre - Just Off Junction 9 of M40. As usual my workspace is a muddle.....

But there are muddles..... and then there are productive muddles....

If you'd like to come along and enjoy a really friendly, fun and productive miniature day creating your own unique little herb garden just go to our NOSTALGIA IN MINIATURE WORKSHOPS website for all the details and pictures of past workshops - STILL A FEW PLACES.

Celia  (who is KT Miniatures when wearing her other hat) and I have worked on many projects together over the years and the WW1 project for Dolls House and Miniature Scene Magazine is  our latest 'in print' - so the workshops are a natural combining of our complementary but different skills and talents which we're happy to share with others who want to create something entirely original at their own pace.

Thank you for looking
Robin

Everything Changes....and Moves On

'Nothing stays the same...'. We hear this all the time and of course it's true. This year we've been reminded of a number of important commemorations - WW1 and D-Day for instance - but there are lots smaller local markers of time moving on.

Out and about last week I took this photo of a beautiful windmill that's being restored.  I've been waiting for ages until the sails were on and I could get a picture of it with the towers of Didcot Power Station in the background.  The first tower is to be demolished soon and it's always been part of my local landscape  - just seems like an interesting juxtaposition.

It's not really on a hill - I was perching precariously on a grass verge

This telephone box (and the post box) in a place I know very well, do kind of flag up the fact that everyone now has a telephone....and all the visitors to the pretty village feeding the ducks on the pond, have a mobile phone in their pocket.

Out of the shed, where it's been languishing for a few years, came this old typesetting tray.  Back in the dark ages when I first started work in publishing I took a Pre-tech Printing Course and learnt the rudiments of typesetting by hand - absolutely fascinating - so I love these trays.  Actually lino-type (told you it was the dark ages*) was still in use and filmsetting was the NEW thing! A new fangled computer filled a vast room!

Anyway this will be used to display miniatures when I've cleaned it up...which won't be a quick job.

Thank you for looking.
Robin
P.S * mid 1960s

Little People Full of Character

More tiny 1/48th scale people have reached their new homes so I can now show you my pictures of the last ones.
As it's Wimbledon and I really love watching the tennis on T.V., I had a cunning plan to work on my miniatures while watching.......not all cunning plans are successful....


You might guess that 'working' while watching hasn't worked so I've rushed about like a demented hen before lunchtime when play begins trying to get miniatures, shopping, gardening etc. done so that I can catch some of the matches.

It's a good job Wimbledon wasn't on when I was trying to create these tiny characters......

The weather has been lovely so it's been a joy to get out into the garden really early in the mornings for some essential cutting back and weeding - mostly dragging out yards and yards of cleavers and bindweed - and I cut a huge bunch of flowers and leaves to bring indoors this morning. As you know by now I can't resist squeezing a few plants into my blog.......

I was given a super present of this wooden hanger for terracotta pots earlier in the year.  It's a really simple design, so effective and stunning now the pots are brimful of lobelia and violas and looks fantastic hung up on our old shed.

Just a few weeks ago I bought a couple of Spider Lily (Hymenocallis) bulbs half price at a Garden Centre and shoved them into a pot more in hope than expectation.  I've tried, mostly unsuccessfully, to grow these before so imagine my surprise and delight when one burst into flower a day or two ago. It looks amazing next to the Bergamot, also in a pot, waiting for the 'right' spot in the garden to emerge from the undergrowth.

Thank you for looking.
Robin

The World War 1 Project...A Review...and A New Workshop!

To be honest I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed at such very lovely comments both on and off Blog for the WW1 'how to' project that Celia Thomas and I have just had published in Dolls House and Miniature Scene....and I'd like to thank everyone. It was finished a while ago so it's great to now see it in print


I can't resist posting the cover again....

But do take just a peep inside at the first part...you may just be tempted to create a scene of your own.

If you live in Oxfordshire you may be interested to see the scene itself and it's currently on display until 20th August, as part of a wonderful World War 1 Exhibition at The Thame Museum which is well worth a visit.
When it is returned to us we are planning to sell 'We Will Remember Them...' with 50% being donated to The Royal British Legion. If any individual or organization is interested, please contact us at any time.

You may remember earlier in the year, Lucie Roper the Editor of  Dolls House and Miniature Magazine, joined us at one of our workshops - it was a lovely productive and fun day at a brand new, super venue - and she's posted a full review in this issue.

These are very relaxed workshops suitable for both new miniaturists and those who have more experience - absolutely no pressure except to enjoy working on a unique little scene, at your own pace and finish it off at home if you'd like to.

We are working towards our next Nostalgia In Miniature Workshop on September 27th at Bicester Avenue Garden Centre in Oxfordshire. 'DOWN THE LITTLE OLD HERB GARDEN PATH' will be another gently faded nostalgic scene which aims for realism and we will share our skills and techniques and show you to use very ordinary materials in new and exciting ways to create a very special little scene and inspire you to go on with your own.

All the details are on our website, as well as lots of pictures of previous workshops and projects and Booking is Now Open! While numbers are limited  there are a few places still and we also have a discount offer if you'd like to come with a small group of friends. Bicester Avenue is an outstanding shopping centre too so there's a great opportunity for a little retail therapy.

Thank you for looking.
Robin

Dolls House and Miniature Scene - World War 1 Project - OUT NOW!

So excited when the copy of Dolls House and Miniature Scene August Issue arrived this morning to see Part 1 of our World War 1 Bunker Scene 'We Will Remember Them.... '

More details in the forthcoming Blog...but in the meantime take a look at this super August Issue issue of the magazine www.dollshouseandminiaturescene.co.uk
Thank you Lucie and the team!
Robin

Down In Scale Again

Some lovely ladies have been waiting for ages for a batch of tiny 1/48th characters to come along....at last!
I'm also reminded that I don't post pictures of our 1/24th scale furniture often enough - so I'll put that right in this blog too.

Confessions first! Some weeks ago my laptop/internet/gremlins/SOMETHING went into meltdown and I lost some of my precious list of those ladies who had asked to be contacted when I had 1/48th dolls for sale.  As I don't make commissions in this scale I am happy to send pictures out when I have a 'batch' made. (I can sometimes add a particular character to a 'batch' if I know someone is looking for a specific character).
SO....if you are not one of those ladies who already know they will have dolls on the way - and should be/would like to be on the list, please would you be kind and email me. Thank you. 

I don't want to spoil the fun of opening the parcel and seeing the dolls for the first time so for now I'll just picture the ones who have arrived and the few that are still for sale and also include the two little witches who are looking for a new home as well. When they've all arrived I'll show the others.

This little couple are now in their new home

 

These are now for sale

These are all fully pose-able, no more than 1 1/2" high and are priced at £25 each. For more details do email me.

Now for the 1/24th scale furniture - all original handcrafted items, both traditional and fun.  Again, for more details please email.

Thank you for the lovely comments on my Cornwall Blog ....I know lots of you love gardens and plants too...seems a good excuse to share a few more!

The Potager at Bonython Garden near Helsdon

 

St. Michael's Mount

Terrace garden at St. Michsel's Mount

Thank you for looking.
Robin

Wonderful Cornwall and Gardening on the Edge!

To be fair, other people's holiday pics. are not everyone's cuppa - so if you're not mad on the sea, Cornwall and more flowers.....I won't be offended if you skip this blog and wait for the miniatures next time.


We're just back from a lovely, lovely holiday in the far west of Cornwall, and we even had a sunny week to make it perfect.  I did take dozens of photos (as you do) and hope the following selection will be of interest or be a reminder of happy days in this beautiful county.

It's a wonderful coastline and this is a view from the dunes above Hayle.

Well known for the wonderful old gardens, often with exotic planting, Cornwall also has  its own wealth of wild flowers and the hedges at this time of year are dripping in colour and just as exotic in their own way. You probably know, but a Cornish hedge is in fact a combination of a stone wall and earth-topped bank  - sometimes with bushes on the top.

The pinks and purples of foxglove, wild gladiolus, Padstow Pride (valerian) and campion combine with blues of bluebells (still out in places) and echium then the bright white of wild garlic and cow parsley (which we call Lady Lace in this area) and lots of yellow cabbagey plants and alexanders. Magic!

For proper exotic we headed to St. Michael's Mount a magical and mystical island just off the coast opposite Marazion and walked across the causeway at low tide. The garden was open and we had a wonderful time clambering about like arthritic goats - this is where the gardeners abseil down from the castle to plant and weed!!

Puya chilensis

In Falmouth I couldn't resist taking a photo of this lovely rusty chain and anchor...

....and this peep towards the harbour down this narrow steep alleyway.

Thank you for looking.
Robin

Scots in 1/16th Scale - just for a change!

For the last few days I've been shifting scale - depending on where you come from on this....down to 1/16th scale...or up to it! I also had to decide to give the Scotsman pants - and yes I know that's not authentic, but he looked better that way!

I also worried about whether his sporran should be under or over his jumper.......oh the decisions a dollmake has to make!!!!
Anyway this is a modern couple so I'm sure his lovely wife will sort it all out.

This next group are down in scale again to 1/24th and are heading for the West Country where I believe they will be joining their friends at the local market.

I find it interesting that so many of us, both collectors and makers, work and collect across the scales, commission new work and collect vintage and antique.  It's a very diverse and fascinating hobby.
As a scale comparison, the next picture might be of interest - 1/12th, 1/16th, 1/24th, 1/48th scales.

I had some lovely comments on the pictures of my flowers in the last blog (thank you all), and wasn't going to include any this time - BUT - I couldn't resist photographing the 'Blue For You' rose when the rain finally stopped today.

Thank you for looking.
Robin